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The Indian Premier League (IPL) might expand quite a lot over the next few years, and honestly that growth could  lead to big shifts in the international cricket calendar. The BCCI is looking into a few different routes to push up IPL games, with one main idea that kind of circles around reducing parts of certain bilateral series, between cricket nations that play each other regularly.

Right since the 2022 season, the IPL has had 74 matches. But now the BCCI is thinking about taking it up to 94 games. In that plan, all 10 teams would meet twice, not just once, at home as well as away. So yes, that would tack on another 20 matches overall, and give fans more “stadium season” style cricket action across the whole tournament.

The biggest trouble, however, is to get any space in an already crowded schedule. the international calendar is jammed with ICC events, bilateral tours,and franchise leagues all over the globe, so it gets tricky to fit in 20 extra IPL fixtures.

Earlier, the former IPL chairman Arun Dhumal had said that a 94-match IPL still sits inside the BCCI long-term vision and might actually show up as a reality in the next years.

One proposal that is being talked about is to kick off the IPL in the first week of March instead of starting it later in the month. this tweak could end up giving enough time to wrap up the entire 94 matches before the monsoon season reaches India, and at the same time, ride along with the tournament’s rising worldwide interest.

BCCI source stated: “We can't play 94 games in the current window as the monsoon starts after May. Either we split into two halves or we do it from the March first week and have it till May 15. That would be the best window when 94 matches are played.”

If the plan ends up moving forward, bilateral cricket could end up taking the biggest hit. There are reports saying that the BCCI is checking whether a few international series can be made shorter, mainly because several boards have now built strong domestic T20 leagues, and they lean less on India tours to bring in money.

BCCI source again added, “We also need to see the feasibility of bilateral series going forward. Every country has their own league; they are not entirely dependent on hosting the India series. So, we need to see the feasibility of bilaterals going forward.”

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Also, broadcasters and the fans are kinda nudging these conversations. Bilateral cricket just doesnt draw the same vibe of attention as it used to. Meanwhile the franchise leagues keep pulling in bigger crowds. No final call has been made yet, but still, there are discussions about bringing in the expanded IPL format starting from the 2028 season.

Right now, the proposal is still under review, kinda pending. The cricket calendar has gotten more and more crowded, because the ICC keeps arranging a big worldwide event almost every single year. Once you add the Asia Cup, plus the regular international tours, there is honestly very little room left in the schedule, not much space to wiggle in.